City Wide Open Studios

Update: We initially gave CWOS a five star review, but it seems that this year the new director of Art Space which runs Open Studios has shaken up the way the event is run, including giving the axe to our favorite aspect, the alternative space. Without much to get excited about, we decided to forgo CWOS this year. Since we haven’t seen the new set-​up we can’t really say how good or bad it is, but to see a discussion of these disappointing changes, check out:
Originally published 9÷26÷08
If you are craving arty stimulus, check out City Wide Open Studios, (October 2 – 5 2008). City Wide Open Studios (or CWOS) is run by Artspace and has been going for over a decade. With an ever-​expanding list of contemporary artists, this is the premier place to see edgy, innovative pieces in Connecticut.
Unlike many other visual arts festivals in The Constitution State, which seem to run rampant with water colors depicting landscapes and boats, CWOS is fresh and full of vitality-​it neither takes itself too seriously, nor simply lets itself go in the sweat pants and Mickey Mouse t-​shirt kind of way that a lot of CT galleries and shows have.
Held in both the private studios of the artists, as well as non-​traditional locales, such as an abandoned school building, CWOS takes the stuffiness and rigid conservatism out of small-​town New England and injects it with vibrancy, color, and life.
Featuring everything from jewelry to t-​shirt design, to painting, photography, sculpture, woodworking and other modes of fine art, CWOS is the most eclectic, biggest free-​for-​all I’ve ever encountered in the art world.
Affordable (I paid $ 5 to see, probably close to 60 artists last year), accessible (it runs for four days and has multiple locations, as well as tour buses that can take you to each stop) and just plain fun, CWOS is a don’t-miss event for anyone in Connecticut in the month of October.
To visit the website, go to
. For a full listing of showings and events visit the New Haven Advocate, the local alt-​weekly that publishes the event guide (
).